Economic justice is a central component in the ability of domestic violence survivors to achieve financial independence. In particular, tax issues stemming from the perpetrators’ economic abuse present myriad challenges for domestic violence advocates. This webinar will focus on several tax topics of vital importance to survivors including: 1) Filing tax returns, including choosing the best filing status; 2) Claiming the kids; 3) The “race to file first” and its impact on return acceptance and refund issuance; 4) Protecting and authorizing disclosure of taxpayer information; and 4) Obtaining “innocent spouse relief” from federal income tax collection.

The session will address how each of these issues affects the journey of a tax return, the refunds generated by a tax return, and the resolution of debts that may have arisen from prior returns. The goal of this webinar is to address common federal tax issues that impact the economic security of domestic violence survivors and provide information for lawyers representing survivors in family law cases.

Key audience: Family law and domestic violence attorneys, as well as legal advocates addressing tax issues facing survivors. LAV and Rural grantees of the Office on Violence Against Women are encouraged to attend.